318. Memorandum From Harold Saunders of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Saunders proposed responses to the issues that Pakistani Ambassador Khan had raised with Kissinger.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 628, Country Files, Middle East, Pakistan, Vol. X, Sept 72–Oct 73. Secret. Sent for action with Kennedy’s concurrence. Kissinger initialed his approval of each of Saunders’ recommendations, with one exception. He did not respond to recommendation b of the second section relating to military supply. Approval of recommendation b for dealing with the issue of military supply was implied in Kissinger’s delegation to Saunders of the responsibility for providing a response to Khan on the issue and in the handwritten note Kissinger added in the margin in approving recommendation a: “But move fast & give Pakistan a break”. As for the recommendation in section 4, Kissinger authorized a letter to be sent to Pakistani President Bhutto rather than an oral response. The memorandum did not have a section 5. In section 6, Kissinger approved of Saunders meeting with Ambassador Khan to discuss the issues dealt with in the memorandum. The draft letter at Tab A and the memorandum dealing with Pakistan’s request for landing rights at Tab B were attached but not published.

319. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Eliot) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

The Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs concluded that a statement made in the Indian Parliament by Foreign Minister Singh constituted “a strong signal that India now desires better relations.”

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL INDIA–US. Unclassified with confidential attachment. Deputy Executive Secretary Harry Barnes signed the transmittal memorandum for Eliot. Foreign Minister Singh made the statement on November 30 in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. The text of the statement was transmitted to the Department on December 1 in telegram 14364 from New Delhi. (Ibid.)

320. Memorandum From Douglas M. Cochran of the Office of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh Affairs to the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Sisco)

Cochran’s memorandum detailed what he described as Pakistan’s “growing nervousness” over the state of its relations with the United States.

Source: Department of State, NEA/PAB Files: Lot 76 D 52, PAK/Indian Negotiations July–Dec 1972. Confidential. Cleared by Meyer and sent through Laingen. The December 4 meeting between Rogers and Tridev Roy, head of Pakistan’s delegation to the UN General Assembly, was reported to Islamabad on December 5 in telegram 220229. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 7 PAK)

321. Telegram 9952 From the Embassy in Pakistan to the Department of State

Chargé Sober reported that Pakistan and India had reached agreement on delineation of the line of control in Jammu and Kashmir. He speculated that further progress on implementing the Simla accord could be anticipated and he recommended a congratulatory letter from President Nixon to Pakistani President Bhutto and Indian Prime Minister Gandhi.

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 27 INDIA–PAK. Confidential; Priority; Exdis. Repeated to New Delhi. Agreement on delineation of the line of control in Jammu and Kashmir was announced in Pakistan on December 11. Mutual troop withdrawals to the border between the two countries were scheduled to begin the following day. (Telegram 9965 from Islamabad, December 12; ibid., POL 31–1 INDIA–PAK) The troop withdrawals were completed by December 20. (Telegram 10226 from Islamabad, December 21; ibid.)

322. Memorandum From Harold Saunders and Samuel Hoskinson of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Saunders and Hoskinson reviewed U.S. relations with India and Pakistan and proposed a scenario involving a gradual improvement of relations with India, based to some extent on economic assistance, and a positive response to Pakistan’s requests for economic assistance and limited military supplies. Kissinger approved and sent to the President the proposed memorandum dealing with military supplies for Pakistan but did not act on the larger proposed scenario.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 642, Country Files, Middle East, South Asia, Vol. IV (1972). Secret. Sent for action. The documents cited at Tabs A and C were attached but not published. Kissinger initialed the memorandum at Tab B and sent it to Nixon on December 23. (See Document 323) He apparently did not send to the President the memorandum attached at Tab A, which would have advanced the three phase proposals put forward by Saunders and Hoskinson.

Under Phase I.a., Kissinger put a check mark in the margin to indicate he wished to discuss the President’s letter to Jha. Under Phase I.b., Kissinger wrote “No” in the margin next to the suggestion that Connally should be sent back to India. Under the same heading, Kissinger asked in the margin about an informal agenda to be discussed with the Indians: “What’s the agenda[?]” And under Phase II.a., Kissinger wrote in the margin next to the first item: “What is that? Expand.”

323. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Kissinger reviewed for the President the options relating to the question of renewing the flow of military supplies to Pakistan. Nixon approved a recommendation calling a “clean-up exercise” involving the release to Pakistan and India of military supplies that were caught in the embargo imposed during the crisis.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 642, Country Files, Middle East, South Asia, Vol. IV. Secret. Sent for action. Drafted by Saunders and Hoskinson. Nixon initialed his approval of the recommendations. Kissinger then added a handwritten note for Saunders: “Hal–Do what is necessary.”